The Two Strangers
by Sabertooth Kitty
Summary: Rocket Power fic. The gang meets a new girl, but something's just not right... CHAPTER 8 NOW UP! PLEASE R&R!
1. The New Neighbor

The Two Strangers  
  
This is my first, and probably only, "Rocket Power" fic, seeing as I'm no big fan. This story kinda came to me in a brainstorm. There's not going to be too much extreme action, which by now has become what "Rocket Power" is all about, so I apologize for that. However, this should prove to be a good story, anyway. Enjoy!   
  
As if we couldn't tell, I don't own any of the characters or settings, other than my chars Amber Fitchner and Nathan Sable, and the Prehistoric Skate Park, along with a few animals.  
  
Rated PG for now because of unsettling moments, but it will be rated PG-13 later because of graphic violence, and some unsettling issues.  
  
CHAPTER ONE: The New Neighbor  
  
Ahh, yes...summertime in Ocean Shores- I mean, what could be better?! The climate's perfect, the waves are strong, and there are plenty of skate parks to visit. This is definitely an extreme sportsman's paradise.   
  
...or sport-child's paradise, if you ask a few of the resident kids.  
  
In the northern suburbs near Ocean Shores, four kids hung out by a huge ramp in the drive way of a house: a short boy with red hair, sunglasses, a yellow shirt, and a red helmet; a slightly taller girl with purple hair, a pink shirt, and a yellow helmet; another short boy with red hair, a blue shirt, and a backwards red baseball cap; and a short, round boy with blonde hair and a yellow shirt. The boy in the red helmet is named Otto Rocket, the girl is his sister Reggie Rocket, the boy in the baseball cap is named Maurice (or "Twister", as he likes to be called) Rodrequez, and the round boy is named Sam Dullard (his friends sometime use his nickname, "Squid").  
  
Today was the day that Twister began shooting for his new stunt movie, and who was the star? Otto, of course! Otto is a very good skateboarder, as well as a good hockey player, surfer- you name it! If Ocean Shores has the sport, Otto is probably good at it.  
  
As the young Mr. Rocket performed some dazzling tricks for the camera, Twister was momentarily distracted by the moving trucks across the street. All of the crates were so huge! What were they moving? An elephant?!  
  
Otto, noticing that Twister's camera wasn't pointed at him, stopped his skateboard at the bottom of the ramp. "Twist!" he shouted to his distracted friend. "What's going on up there?"  
  
Twister turned off his camera and came down, off of the ramp. "Did you notice those moving trucks?" he pondered aloud.  
  
Reggie looked at Twister. "Moving trucks?" she wondered. "We have a new neighbor?"  
  
The four kids looked out across the street. Two moving trucks were parked outside the house. The men were moving large crates into the garage.  
  
Sam raised an eyebrow. "That's kind of unusual," he observed. "Crates aren't normally an option for such a small house."  
  
"Maybe it's a computer," Twister guessed, turning to Sam. "You know, like yours."  
  
Sam shook his head in doubt. "My computer is tiny compared to that," he pointed out. "Besides, the only computer that would need those crates are the government super computers, and those aren't allowed outside the Pentagon."  
  
Twister just stared at Sam, confused. "Huh?" he said.  
  
Sam sighed and shook his head. "Never mind."  
  
Reggie began to walk over to the house. "I say we go check this out," she offered. "It can't hurt to find out what's in those boxes."  
  
Everyone seemed to agree with Reggie on this, so they all joined her. Indeed, what was so big or fragile that it needed crates to be moved? The curiosity was almost overwhelming.  
  
As they walked closer to the garage of the house, they could see a young teenage girl directing the men with the crates inside the house. She had long curly brown hair, a green shirt, and a yellow cap.  
  
As soon as the last man from the first moving truck was inside the house, she turned to see the approaching children. "Hi," she greeted. "I'm Amber Fitchner. What brings you kids around here?"  
  
"Hi, Amber," Reggie returned the greeting. "We noticed the huge crates and were curious about what's in them. By the way, my name's Reggie Rocket." And with that, everyone introduced themselves accordingly.  
  
Amber smiled. "Well, it's great meeting you all," she said, holding the door to the house open. "Would you guys like to come inside? I'd love to get to know you better."  
  
The kids looked at each other. They figured that a few minutes wouldn't hurt, so they gladly accepted the invitation and walked inside.  
  
Good so far? I hope so! Please R&R, and I promise to get the next chapter up ASAP. Chow! ;P 


	2. Big Secret

The Two Strangers  
  
It's still PG for unsettling moments. It won't be PG-13 for quite a while.  
  
CHAPTER TWO: Big Secret  
  
Once inside, the first things that the gang and Amber could see were the huge crates. They had to push past and squeeze in-between them to get to the couch in the living room.  
  
The couch was very big, but still old-fashioned. Next to it was a tall lamp, two feet in front of it was a coffee table, and three feet in front of the coffee table was an old television set.  
  
Amber sat on the far end, where she sunk into the couch considerably because of the worn springs. "Care to sit down, my young friends?" she offered.  
  
Otto, Reggie, and Sam shrugged as they sat down, but Twister kept his space. That couch was just too creepy- not only was it old and smelly, but he also had a feeling that the couch would collapse beneath him if he sat down. "No thanks." He politely turned down, still staring at the couch.  
  
Amber didn't understand why Twister didn't want to sit down, but didn't call attention to it. "I saw you guys skateboarding over at that house across the street," she said, starting a conversation. "You guys like the sport?"  
  
"Like it? LIKE IT?" Otto emphasized. "We love it!"  
  
"We're also good at street hockey." Sam mentioned.  
  
"Don't forget snowboarding." Reggie reminded.  
  
"Surfing! We definitely love that!" Twister added.  
  
Amber was a little surprised. "Well, I can see that we have some budding Olympians here," she complimented. "You guys seem to be quite the athletes."  
  
Reggie nodded. "What about you?" she asked. "Do you play any sports?"  
  
Amber just laughed. "Only if you count channel surfing and surfing the web," she said, jeering at herself. "I don't play sports; I spend a lot of my time here at home. I have a secret project that I'm working on, so I don't really leave the house unless it's an emergency."  
  
Sam was a little confused. "What about school?" he questioned. "And shopping for food and clothes? And what about friends?"  
  
"I'm home-schooled, Sammy," Amber replied, simply. "I do my grocery shopping with `Mel's Grocery Service'- I give them a list of the stuff I need, and the stuff's here in an hour. As for clothes, I have an ally at a nearby `Johls'. She knows my sizes, and gets me the next size up when I need it. And friends? Well, I let them come to me, unless I find them accidentally while making my random phone calls."  
  
Sam scratched his head. "That makes no sense," he said, looking at Amber. "Haven't you had any outside contact?"  
  
Amber shook her head. "Not since my parents died," she admitted with a sigh. "I'm sort of a fugitive. No one really knows what happened to my parents, but I can't take the chance of governmental intervention. For all I know, my life could end up being an endless black hole. Besides, with the money my parents left me, I've been doing great. Why would I ever want to give all this up?"  
  
While Otto and Twister were staring off into space, Reggie and Sam stared wide-eyed at Amber. This girl had no parents, no guardian of which to speak of, and wanted as little outside contact as possible. From the way they saw it, this girl seriously needed a guidance counselor.  
  
On the other hand, Amber was also doing well with the money that her parents had left her. From the looks of things, she could live in the middle of nowhere and still be alive in twenty years.  
  
Reggie and Sam looked at each other. They knew that they had to talk about this- maybe tell an adult. Right now, however, they had to find out a little more about Amber... and once more, what the heck were in those crates!  
  
Otto finally snapped back to reality. "Hey, you got anything to eat around here?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, man!" Twister quickly agreed. "I'm hungry!"  
  
Amber sighed in relief, glad to change the subject. "Sure," she said standing and walking out of the room. "I'll go and get us some snack cakes."  
  
When Amber had finally left the room, Sam turned to Otto. "Did you notice anything odd about that conversation?" he asked him.  
  
Otto shrugged. "Not really." He said.  
  
Reggie rolled her eyes, knowing that Otto was obviously not paying attention at the time. "Amber's living all by herself, and she's... what? Maybe that same age as Lars," she pointed out. "She doesn't even have foster parents."  
  
Twister was kind of surprised, as he wasn't paying attention then either. "Whoa!" he exclaimed. "She lives here all by herself?"  
  
"Well, apparently, she seems to be getting along fine- I mean, she isn't begging on street corners for food," Sam pointed out. "It just seems a little...well, weird."  
  
"Where could she be getting all of her living money?" Reggie thought aloud. "Her parent's money probably didn't last her too long."  
  
Suddenly, Amber walked back into the room with a plate full of snack cakes. "Who's hungry?" she asked.  
  
Immediately, the heated conversation was brought to a halt. The gang just looked at Amber and smiled.  
  
Amber felt a little nervous, so she set the snack cakes on the table and decided to change the subject. "So, I bet you're all wondering what's in these huge crates."  
  
The gang talked amongst themselves and nodded in reply. Those crates were the whole reason why they were there.  
  
Amber grinned. "Follow me." She said, standing and walking out of the room.  
  
The gang just looked at each other. One by one they stood up (except Twister, who was already standing up) and walked out of the room, following Amber.  
  
I hope that you like this story so far. Please R&R! ;P 


	3. Prehistoric Park

The Two Strangers  
  
  
I don't own the La Brea Tar Pits.  
Still rated PG and that won't change for a while, but keep an eye out for PG-13 material in later chapters…  
  
  
CHAPTER THREE: Prehistoric Park  
  
  
Amber led the gang down a long dark hallway. At the end of the hallway was a downward spiraling stairway. At the end of the stairway did only two dim lights, one on each side, light a large door.  
  
The doors automatically opened at their presence, revealing a small theater. There were only three rows of chairs, each with five seats, and the screen was only about five feet by ten feet.  
  
"Be seated." Amber said simply as she walked to the back of the room.  
  
Everyone sat down cautiously. This was kind of strange, because they've never met anyone with their own private theater. It wasn't really that, though- it was the whole feeling of just being there that creeped everyone out.  
  
The screen lit, and soon the words "A long time ago, in a valley not so far away…" appeared. Then, the setting of wide-open grassland decorated the screen. A few vultures could be seen, sitting in a nearby tree, along with a pride of lions, sleeping in the long grasses, and a large herd of horse-like creatures, munching on the low brush.  
  
"Dude, what's with the lions?" Twister asked.  
  
Otto turned around and looked at Amber. "What does all this Africa stuff have to do with the crates?" he questioned her.  
  
Amber chuckled. "Just wait, Otto," she replied. "Just wait."  
  
Suddenly, a large cat with long teeth passed the screen. In the back round, a few large Mastodons walked towards a nearby watering hole.  
  
Sam turned to Otto. "This picture can't be from Africa," he pointed out. "Mastodons and lions never existed together in the same area-"  
  
"-Unless that area is?" Amber hinted.  
  
Sam thought for a minute. He remembered that Mastodons used to migrate into the warmer areas of North America, Europe, and Asia until they went extinct. As for the lions? The only existing lions were found in Africa and Asia, except for…  
  
"Of course!" Sam said, finally figuring it out. "American lions! How could I forget?"  
  
Reggie was a little confused. "American lions?" she asked.  
  
Twister suddenly became interested. "There are lions around here?" he asked in curiosity. "How come I never noticed?"  
  
"Mainly because there aren't anymore," Sam explained. "American lions died out a long time ago, along with the Smilodons and Mastodons."  
  
"…Smilodons?" Otto asked, confused.  
  
Sam turned to Otto. "The Smilodon is a special species of Sabertooth Tiger," he clarified. "The one mentioned here is the North American kind. It's South American brother is much bigger- the biggest of the Sabertooth variety."  
  
Amber smiled. "Very good, Sam," she congratulated. "There's only one thing: They're actually called Sabertooth Cats. We don't know that they looked or acted anything like tigers, so that name is kind of an overstatement."  
  
On screen, the Mastodons moved closer to what looked like a watering hole. One of them stuck its foot in the "water"…and it was stuck. Trying to get free, the Mastodon soon found itself completely trapped in the pit. The other two Mastodons walked into the pit, trying to free their stricken brother, but soon they were caught as well.  
  
"How come they're getting stuck?" Otto thought aloud.  
  
Reggie was catching onto what this was. "Because it's not a watering hole, is it?" she guessed. "That's a…it's a…" She then noticed the dark color and texture of what the Mastodons were caught in. "…That's a tar pit!" she finally answered.  
  
"Great guesswork, Reggie!" Amber complemented.  
  
The lions awoke and noticed the trapped Mastodons. Because this was such an easy meal, a lioness immediately ran after one of them and pounced. Her sisters quickly followed her, and even the big male eventually came to help. Soon they were all trapped in the tar as well.  
  
A few passing Sabertooth Cats noticed the trapped Mastodons, too. After they tried to take it down, they too fell and were stuck in the tar. A pack of wolves soon ran down towards the tar pit, attracted by the free meal, but like the others, they became trapped in the tar as well.  
  
Tusk set in over this once lively grassland, but now, all of the wildlife that once roamed free in the area were either dead, dying, or sinking ever more into the tar pit. Even the vultures that came to pick off the dead bones of the trapped animals became stuck in the tar.  
  
The screen faded, and a few skeletons appeared on the screen: the American lion, the Sabertooth Cat, the dire wolves, and even the Mastodon. All of these skeletons had a blackened tint to them because of the tar.  
  
"Now I get it," Otto said, finally figuring out what Sam and Reggie already had. "Those crates have skeletons in them, don't they?"  
  
Amber nodded. "Most of them do," she explained. "I bought a lot of these skeletons from the La Brea Tar Pits, but a few have some other props, so if you keep watching, you'll find out what's in the rest of them."  
  
The screen dimmed once more, and the words "What if…" appeared onscreen. Then, a skate park lit the screen- but it was different somehow. The moving skeletons and tropical setting just seemed out of place.  
  
Suddenly, a few kids on skateboards rolled past a group of Sabertooth Cat skeletons. One kid did a 360 on a ridge near a pack of dire wolf skeletons. Another kid grinded a bridge railing near a few rearing horse-like skeletons. The last kid rose up a ramp and soared over a giant Mastodon skeleton.   
  
The gang was in awe over this. Otto was just itching to try a jump over that Mastodon skeleton, and Twister couldn't wait to film it.  
  
Amber grinned in satisfaction. "It looks like you like the idea." She guessed from the looks on their faces.  
  
Otto turned to Amber. "Are you kidding?!" he emphasized. "We LOVE the idea!"  
  
"When are you getting this thing built?" Reggie asked in excitement.  
  
"I'm building it right now," Amber answered. "I'm setting up the skeletons right now, but it probably won't be open to the public for a couple of months."  
  
The gang lowered their heads in disappointment. They really wanted to try some of those stunts, especially Otto.  
  
Amber chuckled. "Cheer up, guys," she encouraged. "I can clearly see what kind of athletes you are, and for being so inquisitive, I'm letting you guys come here any time you'd like."  
  
Twister's head quickly popped up. "Really?!" he asked in enthusiasm.   
  
"Sure," Amber replied. "You guys can even help me set up the skeletons. You guys will be able to do all kinds of stuff within the week, if you help me."  
  
"Even the Mastodon?" Otto asked, excited.  
  
"Well…" Amber went off. "Not the Mastodon yet. It still needs to be checked for safety measures, which is why it won't be open to the public for a while. However, you can still try the other stunts."  
  
"Oh man!" Twister exclaimed. "This is so cool! We get to try all this stuff out before anyone else!"  
  
"I can't wait to tell Raymundo!" Otto said, mentioning his dad.  
  
Amber turned to Otto. "Who?" she asked.  
  
"Our dad." Reggie explained.  
  
"Whoa, wait a minute!" Amber said, halting the excitement. "You can't tell anyone about this yet, not until it's open to the public. You probably shouldn't mention me, either, especially not to your parents."  
  
"Why not?" Twister asked, whining. This was finally something his brother Lars couldn't interfere with!  
  
"Your parents probably won't like the idea of a kid my age living alone," Amber explained. "They might call the authorities, and if that happens, all of the skeletons will go back to La Brea, and that means no Prehistoric Skate Park."  
  
"Well, what are we supposed to tell our parents?" Sam asked. They have been gone for about an hour, and his mom was probably getting worried (like she always does).  
  
"Nothing!" Amber yelled. "You can't say anything about this place! Don't you understand?!"  
  
Her nervous gestures were freaking out the whole gang. This was getting kind of scary- why couldn't they tell their parents about something so cool?  
  
"I think what Sam meant to ask what we were supposed to tell our parents about how long we've been gone." Reggie clarified.  
  
Amber calmed down a little. "Well, you could tell them anything but the truth," she said, offering a few answers. "You could tell them that you were at the beach or that 'Mad Town' place-"  
  
"So, you're asking us to lie to our parents?" Reggie concluded.  
  
"Yes, basically," Amber confirmed. "Think of it as… well, hiding a surprise- you know, like when you're hiding a birthday present for your mom or dad. You can tell them about the park when it's open to the public; just don't mention me, and everything's going to be fine."  
  
Everyone felt a little uneasy about not being able to tell their parents, but agreed anyway.  
Amber smiled. "Good," she said, happily. "Now, would you like to come over tomorrow and help me set up the skeletons? I'm starting with the Smilodons."  
  
Everybody nodded, still feeling a little uneasy.  
  
"Hey, don't worry about it," Amber said, trying to cheer everyone up. "I promise that everything will be fine, okay? Just keep those half pipes with the dire wolves in mind, and you'll start to appreciate the idea."  
  
Everyone nodded once again, smiling that time.  
  
Amber sighed in relief. "Well, you guys better get home," she said. "Your parents are probably waiting for you."  
  
Everyone seemed to agree, so Amber led them upstairs and showed them to the door.  
  
  
  
Do you like it so far? Please R&R and tell me what you think! ;P 


	4. Returning Home

The Two Strangers  
  
  
Still rated PG…for now…  
  
  
CHAPTER FOUR: Returning Home  
  
  
The phone rang at the Rocket residence. The only person home to answer was Mr. Ray Rocket, Otto and Reggie's father.  
  
Ray picked up the phone. "Hello?" he answered.  
  
"Ray?" said the woman with a Spanish accent on the other line. "It's Sandy Rodrequez. Is Maurice over at your house?"  
  
Ray looked around momentarily. "No, I don't see him anywhere," he replied. "In fact, I don't see Otto or Reggie either. Maybe they're at Sam's house."  
  
"I already called the Dullards," Sandy informed Ray. "Maurice isn't there, or Sam, or your kids either, Ray. Do you think they've gone missing?"  
  
"Now, hold on, Sandy," Ray said, trying to calm down Twister's worried mother. "Maybe they're at Mad Town… or the beach…" He said, sighing in frustration. "I don't know, ma'am! Just calm down."  
  
Suddenly, the door of the Rocket house opened. Ray looked over at the door and noticed that his kids were home.  
  
"I'll call you back, Sandy," Ray said, trying to rap up the phone call. "Otto and Reggie just came to the door."  
  
"So did Maurice," Sandy replied. "I'll ask him where he was all day. Gracias, Ray, and buenos tardes." With that, they hung up.  
  
"Dad, we're home!" Otto informed his father.  
  
Ray walked into the room, a little suspicious of his children's past whereabouts. "Hello, Otto, Reggie," he said, staring at his kids. "Where were you?"  
  
Otto and Reggie looked at each other. While Otto screamed "Mad Town", Reggie yelled "the beach" at the top of her lungs. As soon as they heard each other, both of them quickly changed their minds. And they changed their minds again…and again…and again!  
  
"Whoa! Hold it!" Ray halted his kids' babbling. "One at a time, calmly tell me where you went."  
  
Otto sighed. "Mad Town with Twister." He decided.  
  
Reggie went next. "The beach with Sam." She said.  
  
Ray was a little confused. "You guys split up?" he asked.  
  
"We, uh, couldn't decide where to go," Reggie explained. "so, um, we split up today so everybody could be happy."  
  
Pathetically, they both gave a wide grin.  
  
Otto rolled his eyes in disbelief. "Great excuse, Reg." he quietly muttered out the side of his mouth.   
  
Reggie wasn't too happy about Otto's utterance. "Can it." she ordered her brother.  
  
Ray was still a little confused, but didn't question it. "Anyway," he continued. "I'm ordering dinner. Who's up for a little pizza?"  
  
Otto and Reggie were very enthusiastic about the idea. They immediately ran for the phone and begged their dad to call.  
  
Meanwhile…  
  
Twister cautiously walked through the door to his house. He wasn't afraid of his parents- not at all! He hoped that they were around. He was more afraid- much, MUCH more afraid- of…  
  
Suddenly, Twister saw a shadow darken his pathway. Unfortunately, that was the dark shadow of his brother, Lars.  
  
Lars laughed teasingly as he grabbed Twister from behind and gave him a noogie. "Hey there, munchkin!" he teased. "Where have you been all day?"  
  
Twister quickly began thinking of excuses. "Uh… Mad Town?" he tried.  
  
Lars let go of Twister momentarily. "Didn't see you there," he said. "You may be munchkins, but it's kind of hard to miss you there."  
  
Twister guessed again. "Um… the beach?" he tried.  
  
Lars snorted. "Not there, either," he said, grabbing Twister around the neck. "Now really, tell me where you were!"  
  
Twister whined a little as he tried to escape Lars' grasp. Finally, he gave up trying and squealed to his older brother about Amber.  
  
Lars let go, satisfied with the torture that he released upon his younger brother. "Later, shrimp." He teased as he walked out the door.  
  
Twister rubbed his head. He really hated how rough Lars was on him. He wondered why his mother hadn't come to bail him out…  
  
"Maurice Rodrequez!" Twister's mom yelled from the kitchen. "You get in here right now, mi hijo!"  
  
Too late. Twister lowered his head and reluctantly sauntered into the kitchen.  
  
  
In the meantime…  
  
  
Sam was being very careful not to slam the door. He knew how much his mother worried about him if he was even five seconds late.  
  
His mother was quickly pacing back and forth in the kitchen. She was anxiously waiting for her little boy to call from where ever he was or walk through the door. She turned to view the door… and saw her son trying to sneak out of the way.  
  
Sam's mother quickly ran over to Sam and hugged him. "Oh, Samuel!" she said, relieved. "Where were you? I was so worried!"  
  
"Mom, I'm fine!" Sam said, gasping for air. "I'm fine! Please let go!"  
  
Sam's mom finally let go. "Now then," Sam's mom said, more calmly this time. "Where were you?"  
  
Sam already had a location picked out: Mad Town…or was it the beach? The computer store?  
  
"Well?" Sam's mom asked, expecting an answer. "I'm waiting."   
  
"Uh…Mad Town?" Sam said, hoping that his mother would believe him.  
  
Sam's mom sighed in relief. "Oh, well, if that's where you went, I suppose that there's no reason for me to worry," she said, suddenly turning back to Sam. "You did remember your helmet, right?"  
  
Sam nodded. "Yes, mom." He replied.  
  
"And your knee pads?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Your elbow pads?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Your-"  
  
"Mom!" Sam interrupted. "I remembered everything."  
  
Sam's mother simply nodded, with yet another sigh of relief. "Well, dinner's in ten, honey," she reminded Sam, as he walked upstairs. "Be downstairs soon."  
  
Sam only nodded as he trodded upstairs to his computer. 


	5. Fugitive Kids

The Two Strangers  
  
  
I do own the "Fugitive Kids" website mentioned here (the website doesn't exist…at least, I don't think so).  
PG, PG, PG…………………..  
  
  
CHAPTER FIVE: Fugitive Kids  
  
  
Sam Dullard opened the door to his room. Yes, it was a complete and total mess, but what can you really expect from a boy his age?  
  
Sam walked over to his computer and started up the modem. As his hard drive was booting up, he lied down on his bed and closed his eyes. Thousands of thoughts ran through his mind- he almost couldn't keep track of them all.  
  
That Prehistoric Skate Park really was a good idea. A lot of kids would be interested in coming. Even he would like to try it out… though he wasn't a very good skateboarder.  
However, Amber was a fugitive- she was on the run from the government, whether she'd admit it or not. He needed to tell someone, if not his own mom!  
  
Once the computer had finally booted up, Sam went over and started his online connection. He needed to find out more about Amber's kind of fugitive.  
  
Once he was at his home page, he typed "Fugitive Child" into the search option. He pushed the "Enter" key on his keyboard and waited for the listing.  
  
The first site, which immediately caught Sam's eye, was a website entitled "FUGITIVE KIDS". The summary below noted, "Children go missing every day. Is your child one of them? Fugitive Kids is here to help."  
  
Sam smiled as he clicked the option. Finally, there might be something he could do. As the site booted up, Sam picked up the phone and dialed a phone number.   
  
  
Meanwhile…  
  
  
The Rockets had ordered their pepperoni pizza an hour ago. Otto and Reggie were getting very hungry, and Ray kept looking back at the clock every so often. What could be taking that pizza guy so long?!  
  
Finally, the doorbell rang. Ray opened the door and noticed the pimple-covered face of the delivery boy. "Pizza's here," he said, handing the pizza to Mr. Rocket. "That'll be $17.25."  
  
"For a medium pepperoni pizza?" Ray inquired. "That's kind of expensive, isn't it?"  
  
"Hey, it wasn't my idea," the kid complained. "Now, how about paying for that, mister?"  
  
"I thought your ad said, 'delivery in 29 minutes, or it's free'," Ray recalled. "It's been an hour since I called."  
  
"No, sir," the kid corrected, holding up a spare ad that he kept in his pocket. "It says '59 minutes', not 29. Technically, sir, I had 37 seconds before your pizza would have been free."  
  
Grumbling, Ray reached for a twenty in his pocket. Figures that a delivery boy would be so accurate- carries a stopwatch around his neck just to keep his job.   
  
Well, at least Ray finally had the pizza. As soon as the delivery boy was out of sight, he closed the door and walked into the kitchen. "Who wants pizza?" he said, laying the pizza box on the table.  
  
Almost immediately, Otto and Reggie tore open the box and began helping themselves to the tasty pepperoni pizza. The phone rang before Ray could get his chance to steal a slice.  
  
Ray walked over to the phone. "Hey, save me a slice, kids!" he said, answering the phone. "Hello, Rocket house. Ray Rocket speaking."  
  
"Hi, Mr. Rocket," replied a familiar voice. "Is Reggie there?"  
  
Ray looked over at the pizza box. On one hand, both Reggie and Otto were busy invading the pizza. On the other hand, if he let them, there wouldn't be any pizza left for him. He finally decided to…  
  
"Sure, Reggie's available," Ray lied, briefly looking over to his daughter. "Reggie! Phone call! It's Sam!"  
  
Reggie grabbed the plate with her pizza slices on them and ran over to the phone. "Coming!" she called, picking up the phone where Ray had left it. "Hello?"  
  
"Hey, Reg," Sam answered. "It's Sam. Listen, I was just wondering… how did you feel about today?"  
  
Reggie quietly moved away from the kitchen, where Ray and Otto were eating their pizza. "You mean Amber?" she guessed. "…Well, I do like that skate park idea, but it just doesn't feel right knowing that we can't tell our parents."  
  
Sam nodded. "I feel the same way," he said, clicking a few keys on his keyboard. "That's why I did a search on fugitive kids. I found the perfect website- there's a lot of info here."  
"Mind filling me in on some of it?" Reggie asked.  
  
"Not at all," Sam agreed, clicking the enter key. "Hold on… hey, did you know that most fugitive children don't live past age eighteen?"  
  
Reggie was kind of shocked. "That's kind of young, isn't it?" she wondered aloud.  
  
Sam sighed. "I wish I was lying, Reg," he confessed. "It also says that though many of them aren't lucky enough to make it off the streets, the kids in the more serious need of help either make a good enough living or are rich."  
  
Reggie clearly saw the point that Sam was trying to make. "So…" she said sadly, "do you think we should tell our parents?"  
  
Sam understood Reggie's disappointment. "Well, I'm going to call this number they've advertised here on the site," he reassured her. "I'll get some information about kid's rights, as far as this kind of situation goes."  
  
"So what do we do until then?" Reggie asked, concerned.  
  
Sam sighed again. "Until we have some more information, there isn't much we can do," he admitted bluntly. "For now, if Amber is mentioned by some slip of the tongue, try and keep her at a low profile. We don't need to make this a bigger deal than it actually is."  
  
Reggie nodded. "Okay, Sammy," she said, looking back into the kitchen. "I gotta go; Otto and Raymundo are hogging all the pizza. See ya!" And with that, she hung up.  
  
Sam also hung up and printed out a sheet of facts about the "fugitive children". By then, his mother called him downstairs for dinner, so he turned off his computer and headed for the dinner plate with his name on it.  
  
  
  
R&R! R&R! R&R! R&R! R&R! Yea!!!!! 


	6. Midnight Delivery

1 The Two Strangers  
  
Okay, we'll be seeing a little angst here in the beginning of this chapter, but it's not enough to rate it PG-13, so the PG rating stays…for now, anyway…  
  
2 CHAPTER SIX: Midnight Delivery  
  
Nighttime was usually pretty quiet in Ocean Shores. The town was far away from the lights and noise of San Diego and Los Angeles. The only places open at midnight were the gas stations, so the most ruckus heard during the night was the sound of softly chirping crickets.  
  
Tonight, that wasn't going to be the loudest noise.  
  
At the Dullard household, Sam was sleeping soundly… until the sputtering of an old truck motor awoke him. Not knowing what it was yet, he rubbed his eyes and put on his glasses. Peeking out the window, he saw what looked like an old moving truck in Amber's driveway.  
  
Sam yawned. "I thought she was finished getting all those crates in her house," he said to himself tiredly. "What could be left to unpack?"  
  
Sure enough, the moving man began taking out crates from the back of his truck. These crates were different, though; Sam noticed that they were smaller than the other crates, and could faintly see a few holes on the sides.  
  
That was unusual- what were in those crates, because they didn't look like they had fossils in them. Also, why would Amber want these crates delivered at night? Was she trying to hide something?  
  
Sam looked the digital clock on his nightstand. 12:45 AM. WAY too early to go over and ask questions. He decided that he would talk to Amber the following morning… when he was awake enough to ask.  
  
The next morning, Sam waited outside Amber's door. Obviously, she was a heavy sleeper, since no one answered the door when he knocked.  
  
Sam was still a little curious about last night. He had already learned not to completely trust Amber, but that "midnight delivery" only deepened his suspicion.  
  
Across the street, Otto and Reggie made their way outside the Rocket house. While Otto skated over to the Rodrequez house to get Twister, Reggie roller- bladed to Amber's house, where she noticed a near-asleep Sam.  
  
"Hey, Sam," Reggie greeted, noticing his sleepiness. "Are you okay? Have a good night?"  
  
Not noticing Reggie until that moment, Sam raised his head. "Oh… hey, Reg," he replied. "I slept pretty well… except for this big truck that came by Amber's house last night… it woke me up around 1 AM."  
  
Reggie shrugged. "I didn't notice anything last night," she said, "but if there was a truck here last night, I'd like to know why it came at night."  
  
Sam yawned. "That's not the only thing," he pointed out. "The crates were smaller than the other ones, and there were air-holes on the sides."  
  
"Air holes?" Reggie repeated, confused. "Why would there be air-holes on a box that has fossils?"  
  
"Well, I doubt that there are fossils in that crate at all," Sam thought aloud. "The only reasonable explanation would be a live animal-"  
  
"Why would she need a live animal?" Reggie questioned. "It doesn't make much sense to me."  
  
Sam was silent for a moment. Reggie was right- Amber didn't need a live animal. What else could have been in those crates, though?  
  
By that time, Otto and Twister had arrived at Amber's house. While Otto was looking as awake as he usually was, Twister looked a little tired. Apparently, something had kept him up the former night.  
  
Sam finally looked up and noticed Twister's fatigued expression. "What happened, Twister?" he asked, already knowing the answer.  
  
Otto looked at Sam, observing the boy's sleep-starved appearance. "Probably the same thing that happened to you." He pointed out.  
  
Sam ignored Otto's comment. "I'm just asking because there was a moving truck outside Amber's house last night and I had trouble sleeping because of it." He explained.  
  
Twister nodded. "Me too," he acknowledged, looking at Otto and Reggie. "I don't understand why you guys didn't hear that thing. I couldn't sleep because of that truck."  
  
Reggie turned to Otto and explained to him what she and Sam were previously discussing. Although he didn't look like he was paying attention, probably because he wasn't, she kept talking just in case (by some chance) he WAS listening.  
  
Suddenly, the front door opened. There stood a half-asleep Amber, with less sleep than both Sam and Twister combined. It was clear to all of them that there might be more to Amber's plans than just a skate park.  
  
Amber smiled weakly. "Care to come inside?" she offered.  
  
Otto and Reggie walked in immediately, but Sam and Twister stood in place for a moment or two before joining them. 


	7. Fossil Cats and Dogs

1 The Two Strangers  
  
…*sighs* Do I really need to say it? PG  
  
2 CHAPTER SEVEN: Fossil Cats and Dogs  
  
Amber led the group through the hall, down the stairs, and into the theater. She walked to the back and opened a wide doorway. The gang followed her and was amazed to find…  
  
"It's the skate park!" Otto exclaimed.  
  
Indeed it was the skate park. There were bowls, ramps, railing- everything that you'd expect to find. In addition to all this, though, the large crates they had seen the day before were on platforms.  
  
Amber smiled and looked at the gang. "You said you'd help me, right?" she asked. "Your help gets this park closer to completion, and the sooner it's complete, the sooner it will be open to the public."  
  
Reggie nodded. "Sure I'll help," she agreed. "I'd like to see this skate park finished soon."  
  
Though Sam was tired, he was willing to help out. "Well, if you show me how, I'll do whatever I can." He said.  
  
Unlike Reggie and Sam, Otto and Twister weren't really in the helping mood- they were more in the skateboarding mood. "Well, we got to go," Otto said, slowly moving towards the door with Twister. "Reggie, Squid, we'll catch you later at Mad Town."  
  
Amber sighed. "Okay," she said, looking over to Reggie and Sam. "Just so you two know- if we get enough done today, I'll let you skate around later."  
  
With that one word- skate- Otto and Twister ran over to Amber's aid. If they could skateboard, bike, or roller-blade in, on, or around it, they'd definitely help out.  
  
"Well, it's nice to see you two lending a helping hand," Amber noticed. "This wouldn't have anything to do with the skateboarding thing, would it?"  
  
Twister replied, "Of course it d-"  
  
Otto covered Twister's mouth, cutting him off. "Of course not!" he lied smoothly. "What ever gave you that idea?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know," Amber said as she watched Reggie roll her eyes. "Let's just say I had a hint or two."  
  
In any case, Amber walked over to a big toolbox and pulled out three crowbars. She turned to the gang and said, "Let's get to work."  
  
About an hour later, most of the boxes were opened and the kids were assigned a few skeletons. Otto and Reggie were setting up a pride of Sabertooth Cats, Twister and Sam were positioning a pack of Dire Wolves, and Amber was working on the legs of a Mastodon.  
  
Otto groaned as he placed a Sabertooth Cat skull on the corresponding beast's neck. "How much longer?" he complained. All he wanted to do since the minute he started was skateboard; he didn't ask for this torture… well, actually, he did, but he didn't know it would be torture until now.  
  
"As soon as at least half of those Sabertooth skeletons are up, Otto," Amber replied as she set the Mastodon's front left shinbone in place, "then, and only then, can you skate."  
  
Otto looked at the Sabertooth skeletons: three finished, nine remaining. Reggie was busy setting up the fourth one.  
  
Otto sighed as he began building up the fifth one. "This stinks on ice." He complained.  
  
Twister looked at Otto from across the room. "Hey, at least you don't have to deal with all of these," he pointed out, holding up a dire wolf skull. "There must be a thousand of these!"  
  
Sam shook his head. "Actually, Twister," he disagreed, "there are only fifteen dire wolves here."  
  
"Fifteen?!" Twister exclaimed. "We'll never get to skate!"  
  
Sam observed all of the standing dire wolf skeletons. "We're closer than you think," he said, smiling. "We have six skeletons up. Only one more and we're ready to skate."  
  
Twister turned to Sam. "What are you waiting for, Squid?!" he said, trying to hurry Sam along. "Let's get this thing built already!"  
  
Otto groaned. He didn't want to do this- he wanted to skateboard with Twister!  
  
Reggie attached the tail vertebrae to the pelvis of a Sabertooth skeleton she was working on, finishing the beast's complex bone structure. "Hey, Otto," she called to her brother, "these skeletons aren't going to build themselves! You want to skate or not?"  
  
That last comment was enough to push Otto to get started setting up one more Sabertooth skeleton. As he was connecting the different leg bones, he caught scent of a foul-smelling stench…  
  
Quickly, Otto cupped his hands over his nose and mouth. "Oh, man!" he wailed. "What is that?!"  
  
Everyone stared at Otto momentarily… at least, until they caught scent of it. Soon, the entire room was filled with the noxious gas.  
  
"What is that?" Reggie asked.  
  
"I think it's a stink bomb!" Amber replied.  
  
Twister had just thought of something- he knew someone who used stink bombs for torture, and that someone was…  
  
"Lars!" he exclaimed. 


	8. Beware of Attack Cat!

1 The Two Strangers  
  
I think this goes without saying, right? (PG)  
  
2 CHAPTER EIGHT: Beware of Attack Cat!  
  
As everyone tried to guard their sinuses against the foul stench of Lars' stink bombs, Amber crawled over to a wall and pushed a large, red button. That button opened a hidden door on the side of the wall.  
  
Amber quickly lifted her hand off her mouth. "Hurry!" she yelled. "Get inside! I'll explain in a minute!"  
  
No one hesitated to ask- they ran inside the concealed room without question. Choosing between a hidden room with clean air and the room they were in… well, it's simple logic that even Twister could figure out.  
  
As soon as everyone was inside the room, Amber pushed a button next to the inside of the door. "Follow me," she insisted as the door closed behind them. "I need to show you something."  
  
They walked down a dark hallway, much like the one leading to the skate- park, only shorter. The walls were decorated with patterns of animal skins: jaguar rosettes, tiger stripes, lion sable coats, and cheetah spots just to name a few.  
  
They walked into what looked like an open office. There was a huge desk with a large computer monitor and five small televisions. A faint laughing sound could be heard from one of the tiny TVs.  
  
Amber looked at Twister. "Is that Lars?" she asked, pointing at the television screen.  
  
Twister nodded slowly. It wasn't that he did not want to get Lars in trouble- it would be pay back for all the times Lars pushed him around! It was just…  
  
Amber pushed the enter key on her computer keyboard. A video screen began loading onto her computer, and since this would take a few minutes, she considered using this time to ask and answer questions.  
  
The teenage girl kneeled down to Twister's eye level. "Tell me about Lars," she requested, "and tell me how he found out about this place."  
  
Twister gladly gave away some information about Lars. It was the least he could do. Besides, after all the torturing he's gone through, this boy was ready to see his older brother get in trouble.  
  
Amber nodded. It was sufficient information, but she still needed to know something…  
  
"Tell me something," she said, staring coldly at Twister, "how did Lars find out about this place?"  
  
Twister hesitated for a moment. He looked to his friends for help, but they all looked too aggravated to offer any assistance.  
  
Finally, Twister sighed as he began to admit the truth. "I…" he started, hesitating once more. "I… I kind of told Lars about you and thi-"  
  
"You did WHAT?!" Amber barked at him in fury.  
  
"Well, he got suspicious," Twister explained. "I tried all my excuses, but he wouldn't leave me alone until I told him."  
  
Amber rubbed her chin. "Interrogation…" she thought aloud, then placing her hand on Twister's shoulder. "I forgive you for this particular instance, but please don't let it happen again."  
  
The video screen uploaded onto Amber's computer, and after pressing a few keys, she got a closer view of the one they called Lars. "Hey, you!" she called. "Get over here!"  
  
Lars was standing in the yard and could see the small television screen on the side of the house. Since he could see Amber's image as she could see his, he had no problem figuring out whose voice it was.  
  
Lars laughed. "Well, well, well," he teased. "If it isn't the kid that hangs out with the dork patrol. Should I be treating you like one of the munchkins, or maybe worse?"  
  
Amber simply rolled her eyes. "Lars," she started, "your attempt at jeering, like the chair I sit on, is beneath me. Because of your childish prank, I hereby ban you from this area. Please leave the premises now."  
  
Lars crossed his arms in protest. "And what if I don't?" he refused.  
  
"Then, I have no choice but to let my associate, Sabrina, deal with you." Amber replied.  
  
Otto looked around. "Who's Sabrina?" he asked.  
  
Amber gave him a sidelong look. "I'll tell you in a minute," she said, clicking a small icon on the computer screen and looking back at Lars. "Sabrina's on her way. I hope that you're satisfied, Lars."  
  
Lars looked into the television screen, mockingly scared. "Oh no!" he fake- whimpered in a high-pitched voice. "Sabrina's gonna get me! I'm so scared! Help me, lameos! Help me!" He then went back to his normal insulting self. "Bring it on!" he challenged.  
  
Then, Sam screeched from the back of the room. A large, dark, bulky figure passed behind him and he was nearly scared out of his mind.  
  
"Sammy, what's the matter?" Reggie asked, concerned.  
  
Sam took a moment to catch his breath before speaking. "I'm fine now," he confirmed, "but I just thought I felt-"  
  
"Oh, Lars!" Amber interrupted. "I almost forgot to tell you something about Sabrina."  
  
Lars laughed. "Yeah, like what?" he asked.  
  
As Lars was saying this, a large black body moved behind him. Though the shape was indistinctive, it looked like a killer.  
  
Amber laughed mockingly. "Sabrina's a Black Panther," she admitted bluntly, "and if you know what's good for you, you'll pass on the opportunity of being a potential meal, like now."  
  
Lars turned around, expecting to see Twister and his friends in a big black fur coat. However, he had his opportunity to taste the irony when he realized that the figure behind him really was a Black Panther.  
  
Sabrina snarled in anger. She wasn't fond of company, especially unwanted company. She let out a growl, to warn the unfortunate human of his possible fate.  
  
Lars didn't need to think twice- at the sight of Sabrina, he high-tailed it over the fence that separated Amber's yard from the rest of Ocean Shores. There was no way he'd stick around with a Black Panther!  
  
Amber clicked the small icon on the computer once more before shutting down the video program on her computer. "Well, I hope you all enjoyed that," she said, sarcastically. "Now, does anyone want an explanation, or should we just forget this nasty incident and go home?"  
  
None of them looked like they wanted to forget the incident, so it was an easily decided vote. Otto and Reggie were curious about Sabrina- it wasn't normal to see a Black Panther in Ocean Shores. Sam was looking for an explanation about why she was there- not many people owned wild animals that actually served an everyday purpose. Twister just wanted to see Sabrina up close- maybe even borrow her to torture Lars with sometime!  
  
Amber nodded. "I thought so," she said, unlocking the door next to her office desk. "Follow me and I'll tell you everything you'll need to know." 


	9. Wild Cat Stronghold

The Two Strangers  
  
  
  
I do not own the San Diego Wild Animal Park. It's still PG, but as soon as the next chapter is up, this story will be rated PG-13. You have been warned.  
  
  
  
CHAPTER NINE: Wild Cat Stronghold  
  
  
  
Amber opened the door to reveal what looked like a kennel. The overall sight and smell was exactly the same, except that the oversized cages contained, not dogs, but.  
  
Cats?  
  
Yes, big wild cats. There were two to each pen- apparently one male and one female of the species per cage. They stood out very well considering their surroundings. It was very hard to miss the roar-like yawn of the leopard or the jaguar playfully rubbing itself next to one of the walls of its cage. The cheetahs were sprawled out on the floor for their nap as the tiger was carefully licking a wound on its paw and the territorial lion was staring coldly at the group of humans.  
  
Amber spread her arms open like an eagle's wings. "Welcome to my headquarters," she stated proudly. "What you see before you is an excellent example of animal conservation. These cats were sent to me by the San Diego Wild Animal Park, so that I can return them to special animal reserves in their native homelands."  
  
Reggie smiled. True, this was unexpected, but it was still nice to see someone who was so concerned with the environment. She remembered her younger days when she used to like looking at animals and learning about them. until her dad introduced her to the surfboard.  
  
Sam was still a little skeptical. Why would the Wild Animal Park need any help transporting their wildlife back to their native habitats? He began wondering if Amber's skate park was a cover-up for something big. something illegal.  
  
Neither Otto nor Twister was paying attention. While Otto leaned on his skateboard half-asleep, Twister sneaked away from the group and walked over to the cats.  
  
Almost immediately, most of the cats were responding to Twister's movements. The female jaguar, though, was probably the most interested. She wanted to have a good time, and when Twister walked up to her cage with his camera, she knew that she was a part of something.  
  
Twister got a close-up on the jaguar's face. "Hi, kitty," he cooed. "How about doing something really cool for the Twister Cam?"  
  
Since the camera lens was pushed up against the cage, and because she was feeling playful, the jaguar sniffed and then licked Twister's camera. She then pressed her face up against the cage and rubbed softly.  
  
As Twister was filming the jaguar, the female cheetah popped her head up to look around. Despite her cage-mate, the male cheetah, she felt very lonely and wanted attention. She noticed Otto's brightly colored skateboard and barked in his direction.  
  
Surprised, Otto jumped and dropped his skateboard. It rolled over to the cheetah cage, where the female curiously pawed at it.  
  
Otto was not about to let some stupid cat take his skateboard. He walked over to the cheetah and grabbed the opposite end of the skateboard. "Give it!" he demanded. "Let it go already!"  
  
The cheetah saw this as a game of tug-of-war, so she continued to play (or struggle, in Otto's case) with the skateboard. The endeavor was so forceful that when she let go, Otto slid across the room and right into Reggie and Sam.  
  
Reggie stared at Otto. "What was that?" she asked.  
  
Otto pointed to the female cheetah. "Blame that," he said. "It tried to take my skateboard."  
  
Amber chuckled. "Please forgive Bastet," she explained. "She loves companionship. All she was trying to do was keep you around for as long as you'd let her."  
  
Bastet blinked in an almost friendly manner. She really liked Otto- he seemed like the fun-loving type, unlike her cage-mate Speedo. She barked again, hoping that he'd play with her again.  
  
Reggie walked up to Bastet and petted what fur she could reach. "She's so friendly," she thought aloud. "How old is she?"  
  
"She's about nine or ten months old now," Amber answered. "If we're lucky, she'll have her first litter within the month."  
  
As Reggie was admiring Bastet, Sam looked away and noticed Twister filming the female jaguar. As she let out a big yawn, he complimented, "Nice tonsils."  
  
Sam turned to Amber. "I was just wondering if Twister's allowed to do that." He said, pointing to Twister and his attempt at a 'nature film'.  
  
Amber nodded. "It's okay to use video cameras," she assured, "just as long as there is nothing to provoke them, like a flash bulb or loud noises. That's why I don't allow flash photography."  
  
Otto was getting bored, fast. "Listen, Amber," he said, backing out of the room. "I'd love to stay, but I want to get some skating in today. Mad Town calls, you know!"  
  
"Okay, Otto," Amber replied, walking up to a door on the opposite side of the room. "You can take the long way out, with the stink bomb fumes."  
  
Opening the door to reveal her yard, Amber continued, ".or you can take the shortcut."  
  
Otto stopped, and then walked over to the door. "I knew that," he claimed. "I knew that."  
  
Otto was soon followed by his friends, and as soon as they were gone, Amber locked the door and unlocked the lioness's cage. "Let's see what you can do to help me." she said, grinning. 


End file.
